Things I Love Thursday (TILT)- My Lap Band

Yep, it's true. I LOVE that thing. It has been a life saver for me. I was heading down the road of self destruction, and this little bit of plastic really helped me. Now, I am not saying Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) is for everyone. However, it was a good choice for me. You don't have to agree with me. I know that there are some dead set anti-WLS people out there, and I don't have to agree with you, either. :)

It will be 3 years in November since I had my surgery. My weight loss has been slower than I have liked, but then again, I haven't worked as hard as I should have all the time. Totally not a LapBand issue, but a Denise issue. :) I have a lot of people aske me about the Band. The photo above shows how it is placed in your body. Yes, it stays in there forever, unless there is a serious complication. Yes, my new stomach is really that tiny. Yes, you can feel that port. Yes, I would do it again. Yes, I would recommend it to people. However, if you are considering WLS, you really need to do your research and find what works for you. There are many WLS options out there and different people have different needs.

So, that's my short but sweet post this week. :)

Things I Love Thursday (TILT)- FRAMILY

Framily. Yep, that's right. Not a type-o. Framily. It's that thing thing every military family longs for every time they get a new assignment. Friends so close that they become your family.

 I wouldn't trade my life for the world, but military life isn't easy. Now, we have had it relatively easy because my husband has had 3 assignments so far in his career. ( We're praying this is the last.) We spent 7 years at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Then we spent 8 years at RAF Lakenheath, England. We have spent almost 4 years here at Dyess AFB, Texas.

 With the exception of Tinker (which was 'only' a 5-6 hour drive home depending on potty breaks and rest stops) we haven't lived close to family for a LONG time. I love my Air Force framily. Not everyone I have met or gotten to know during my husband's almost 19 yr career get the privilege of being called my framily, but quite a few do. Not only do we have that Air Force bond thing going on, we also have a faith bond. We all have the same values and morals. It makes a big difference.
This framily fills in the gaps that you get when you don't have your 'real' family close. It provides sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers,  aunts, uncles, brothers, cousins, grandmas, and grandpas when you need them. My kids have been blessed by having a great group of framily cousins here in Texas and in England before that. I have been blessed by my framily through the years as well.

 So, I figured I'd share a few photos from my framily album. :)
This is in no way a complete album. These are just photos I had handy when I typed up this post.



Solid Rock Ladies 2004
My RAF Lakenheath Framily



Erin and I 2006-ish (We really need a post WLS pic)
My RAF Lakenheath Framily

Solid Rock Ladies 2006-ish
My RAF Lakenheath Framily

My crazy boys and some of  their Dyess framily.

Steph, Julie, Me, Crystal, Tracee, and Elaina
Some of my Dyess Framily

The Harman and Banks Framilies
More Dyess Framily



My Dyess AFB Framily

Women of Hope Christmas 2009
Dyess Framily



Things I Love Thursday(TILT)- My Family

Harman Family- 2005-ish, I think...

There we are in all our glory.(Many years and many lbs for me ago.We really need a new family picture.) This is precisely why I love these people so much. They are nuts, just like me.  We're pretty much a what-you-see-is-what-you-get group of people. We have changed over the years in many ways, but that's how life and family goes.

So, what is it that you are lovin' this Thursday?